Bond: Torture Prosecutions Reminiscent of "Banana Republic"

[jstewart0420]

If criminal acts were committed, then they should prosecuted. Does this moron think politicians are above the law?

[MrUnclepeanuts]

this guys doesnt know what the hell he is talking about

[incrowdcynic]

On the contrary, Mr. Bond. If there is someone from the Obama administration who deserves to be pursued for criminal prosecution, then by all means, do so.

[BigPurple121]

Haha, Obama threw a political jab at the republicans, who were gaining ground with anti-stimulus attacks. The funny thing is, they fell for it

[taoofmichael]

If you think the tea parties were an example of "gaining ground" on anti-stimulus, you need to check the polls.

The last 26% -- the Sarah Palin lovers, Cheney true believers, the 6000 year old earth end of days geniuses, the last remnants of KKK white supremacy lynch mob freaks that JUST WONT GO AWAY NO MATTER WHAT THE FACTS ARE.

Remember Easy Rider? Where the hicks shot Dennis Hopper for having "long hair?" Now all the hicks have long hair, and streaks. They'll get with it -- in 30 years.

[TheManSand322]

America is so Fucked up !

[clevomon]

Hm... Truth is, I think either decision sets a poor precedent. The key is which one is the least bad option.

[marniespeaks]

these are he same people who went after Clinton for a lie about sex.

If the GOP thinks the rule of law and justice creates of a banana republic then so be it

the GOP created this mess it is a failed party a party of death and should be put down

[Richardgwm]

It is like the Republican's WANT to lose the support of the American people.

[chicagoken]

I am completely speechless. . . who would vote for this moron. Obviously, "banana republic" is the GOP talking point of the week. . . THIS is the best they can come up with. Like I said, speechless.

[DoctorMeh]

But people eat this shit up. Completely baseless remark that is difficult to pin on reality.. but it makes a good sound bite! Yeah, we'll be hearing this for a long time.

If President Obama ate a baby would GOPer's be disagreeing with him politically if they tried to persecute him?

[CynicalSavior]

If what we did wasn't torture... then lets waterboard Rove until he gives up the names of who outed the CIA agent....

Seeing as how he refuses to testify before congress..... let's just strap him down and let him go for a dip or two.

[ehkinoh]

I heared on Fox News that the "Banana Republic" has an "Old Navy"...

I apologize for that terrible joke.

[neo4251]

this is funny. banana republic has some interesting tactics......

[neverlookback75]

Quite right, it should be the administration that gets prosecuted. Unless we're saying no one should be prosecuted, in which case I think we have a lot of apologies to give out, since we can't try anyone for war crimes then.

[oolong2]

It's called "BREAKING THE LAW" you ass it's not about POLITICS. You impeached clinton for BREAKING THE LAW and purguring himself over something stupid like having an affair (big freaking deal). Although you wanted scooter libby to walk for the same crime. I digress...

These people were BREAKING INTERNATIONAL LAW!!! and TORTURING PEOPLE this is NOT about POLITICS or "policy" you ASS.

No matter how scared we are of arabs this is a nation of LAWS and some people juist don't get that.

[JayGottiII]

i don't kno, bout what's this "banana republic"?

[PopUpPenguin]

'Banana Republic' is a usually agricultural nation w/ an unstable government.

[ArtThroughtheAges]

Probably, since 'torture' isn't a bad thing....maybe we should grab up Chaeney and Bush junior, put them under the waterboard, and see if the truth doesn't come out.

Bond, too.

[GabrielGrewal]

woo hoo new talking point

[NatureLegalized]

this geezer Kit Bond should have been found unfit to "serve" out 1 full term & all politicians should be found fit & sufficiently readied to take an office for 1 term only..anymore than this is ridiculous & detrimental

[sugarpuddin88]

Are places like Gitmo an example of human projection by a society?

I submit that Corporations, by virtue of their legal protection scheme, encourage the elimination of compassion on the human level

Thus, a society like America, (which I argue is a socialist country for corporations), is made largely of citizens who daily disconnect themselves from compassion

The net result is a war mongering society that allows torture & violations of human decency!

[PersonalJesus348]

I can't say this enough.  Thank You Obama! Send those fuckers to jail!

[Hereticbooks]

...assuming, you republican asshole, that the Obama administration WILL engage in war crimes? I hate republicans!

[ushadrons]

The following nine were the scapegoated soldiers that were sold down the river by the Bush Administration. They continue to be sold out by all of those who still try to defend the indefensible.... Cpl. Charels A. Graner Jr., Pfc. Lynndie England, Staff Sgt. Ivan Frederick II, SPC. Javal S. Davis, Spc. Jeremy Sivits, Spc. Sabrina Harman, Spc. Megan Ambuhl, Spc. Armin J. Cruz Jr., Spc. Roman Krol.... America should be angry that these soldiers have taken all the blame for Abu Ghraib alone.

[ushadrons]

Bring in General Miller and the 24 members of the "Tiger Team", ask them what they were teaching at Abu Ghraib. What contractors were giving orders to enlisted personel? The link between Guantanamo and Abu Gharaib is what the torture advocates are hiding from. All of the politicians in Washington and all the policy makers at the Pentagon that declared "Bad Apples" must be brought to task. Thank God for former Brig. General Janis Karpinski she is going to be very important in this investigation.

[ArkeAngelRevonulet]

The ones yelling banana republic etc seems to me are scared of the trials becoming reality! HMMM I find that interesting! I wonder why! hmmmm!

[ubuibiok]

Holy Sheep Shit....

Abu Ghraib seven US soldiers were convicted in courts martial, sentenced to federal prison, and dishonorably discharged from service for Torture related events...

Former U.S. national security adviser Condoleezza Rice verbally OK'd the CIA's request to subject alleged al-Qaida terrorist Abu Zubaydah to water boarding

Why hasn't Obama Pardoned the 7 convicted?.... or at least given them a Banana ???

[Pleblian]

"Why hasn't Obama Pardoned the 7 convicted?.... or at least given them a Banana ???"

lol, they have other things in their ass to think about. : )

[Pleblian]

So, let me get this straight.

Investigating and impeaching a sitting president for getting a blow job (which cost the tax payer $70 million) isn't emblematic of a " banana republic"?

[Richardgwm]

This guy is actually defending war crimes.

[oldtownkid]

what we need to do is break that cycle and prosecute past administrations so that the current administration knows that they will also be prosecuted for dishonest behavior. I'm a Dem, and if we have to go back and investigate Clinton, Carter, LBJ,JFK,so what? Is not about Dems or GOPers, it's about justice for all. I think it'd be healthy for our country if current Presidents are aware that they will be investigated by the next administration.

[Pleblian]

True oldtown, Sean Pen wrote an opad in the Huffington post today on the same line - an excerpt: " Had President Ford "looked forward" in his decision as to whether or not to hold Nixon accountable, he perhaps would have seen the Bush administration abuse of power coming and chosen to be genuinely tough on crime --"

I thought Pen brought up a good point.

[SurferRosa79]

0:13 sounds like United States of a Maraca LOL

[ver506]

So, all republicans got this "banana republic" memo, huh?!!

[90210bt]

Clinton makes what Bush did OK? He has got to be kidding. We need a real investigation into the torture - yes. But lets not skip the event that happened that made all of this possible, the Iraq war, the invasion of Afghanistan, the war on Americans rights and the worlds regulations. Lets go back to 9/II and find out what really happened - did Iraq do WTC7? 3, 6 and 8 mile debris field for the plane that crashed in shanksville - doesn't sound right - was that Afghanistan? Maybe Iran?

[HeathrowSurveillance]

It was Al Qaeda...

[90210bt]

AL CIA DA

[gsuitter]

I don't know of any banana republic that would enforce it's constitution on principals. Banana republics just lets things like that slide, like Bond.

[thermalfreek]

Sen. Kit Bond wants to cover up WAR CRIMES by his Criminal Party!

[wmg111]

First, he's assuming the Republicans will be in power again, which is a stretch considering what we are finding out about them and what we already know.

Second, putting aside the Clinton witchhunt, has he forgotten Watergate? Serbia?

911 happened almost eight months after the Bush took office.

These guys will stop at nothing to try to justify their criminal regime.

If prosecution of a group of criminal politicians is the work of a banana republic I say Viva Obama!

[discountBush]

I love bananas. Plaintains are good too!

Sen. Bond has definitely lost the fruit bat vote. Can he be re-elected on the strength of wing-nut support alone? We shall see, we shall see . . .

[burntonion05]

Obama is pretty smart and knows how to play the game. Keep them on defense and you don't have to listen to their garbage about communism, terrorism, socialism, and anything ending in ism. Lets keep this going for the next 7 yrs.

[truescorpio14]

Ive got to agree with you, this is terrible for the republicans for more reasons than one, they have to spend media time defending torture and sit in constant fear of whether they will be prosecuted, and much like rush limbaugh this seems to be splitting republicans into factions as many of them especially the older ones know that having a higher moral ground during war is one of americas strengths while republicans are portraying it as weakness.

[EntropyGuardian]

Republicans didn't run show trials after Clinton had left office, they did it while he was the sitting president.

[MeanieMuff]

Gee I thought we were following the law.

[AtSwimTwoBricks]

I think it's possible the republicans got the idea from Andrew Sullivan and twisted it. He's a widely read conservative, though one that's critical of the Republican party.

On his blog, The Daily Dish, he wrote an article on the 20th called "Obama, Bush And The Rule Of Law". In it, he says that if we don't prosecute anyone for torture that "the rule of law [becomes] optional and torture acceptable [...] America becomes a banana republic."

It's recent enough to have sparked this talking point.

[somecomputergeek]

If the orders are illegal, it doesn't matter who issued them. Carrying them out is still a crime. Weren't we supposed to learn this lesson at the Nuremberg trials?

[WKaliberr]

Bananana

[MISSBEBEBLUE]

GOP talking points for the day:

BANANA

BANANA

BANANA

[greatbroad]

What?? Whatabout Henry Hyde, leading the charge against President Clinton, "for the good of the country." Salacious cigar details, in blue dresses, danced in our heads.

--Of course, poor Henry Hyde has been dead for years. (so too, our righteousness)

[TiTSxxMcGEE]

what is a Banana Republic?

[AtSwimTwoBricks]

The term "banana republic" refers to governments in South America and Africa in which a small, wealthy elite rule over an uneducated and eternally poor populace. Their policies are set up to maintain this separation of power, usually by oppressive laws and military force.

There are frequent coups in the elite and those who were loyal to the old leaders often "disappear". Torture is frequently used.

[discountBush]

More specifically it refers to client states of US or other first-world countries who maintain the oppressive regime in order to provide resources, such as bananas (Guatemala, for example), at super-cheap prices.

[Bunnicula71]

I wanna know who the hell is writing these talking points for the GOP? Anyone with a brain can see through this nonsense. This Bananna Republic thing is particularly intriguing, considering that Banana Republics are associated with torture. Thus being against torture and for the rule of law is being portrayed as un-american? I'm totally confused as to what possible point they are making with this. Also, use the word "policy" instead of torture.

[PopUpPenguin]

Hahaha...

[AnnaSmee]

Isn't Banana Republic a clothing store?

[tonycapricorny]

"Show hearings"? "Banana republic"? Wow, desperation has never sounded so pathetic.

[TedinLasVegas]

Yeah, I think he overreached, just a bit.

(Please make sure you read that sarcastically.)

[FullOfFail]

IT'S CALLED JUSTICE YOU IDIOT

[trebby2]

Hey, you ignorant racist dumbbell - the difference between a banana republic and a constitutional democracy is THE RULE OF LAW! Banana republics employ torture all the time - and they are not prosecuted. You should GET OUT of Washington, get of of America, and go to a banana republic since that's what you so obviously prefer.

[robinvan1983]

"this whole thing of punishing people in past administrations reminds me of a banana republic"

Yeah i can see the logic in that... Weren't they for a trail of Saddam when he was caught? Irak put the past administrations (Saddam Hussein) on trail because of his actions.. so that makes them also a banana republic?

[FullOfFail]

I wish you was doing the interview..

[AstoundedAtheist]

Who else is going to prosecute them?

[motherroot]

lmao banana=barak

[marcusjansen239369]

UNBELIEVABLE:) They will sell anything to America to cover their asses. If America takes this, then America deserves everything it gets. Anyone that wants to commit a crime can do so is what he is saying and if you get away with it, don't worry there will be no investigation:) Get the hell outta here! The New World Order reality!:))

[hellshade2]

this guy is a complete and utter ass,these proseutions won't be occuring due to any "disagreement" it will be because someone broke the law. but then republicans never worry about such trivial things like the law or the constitution, right?

[pstoltz9]

Except when you try and take their guns!

[driftersmanifesto]

you can tell that having show trials and public executions is EXACTLY what Kit Bond is dreaming of doing if the Repubs ever get back in power.

[Bigaphid]

So, if an administration breaks a law and gets voted out of office, we ignore it.

And furthermore,

didn't the Clinton adminstration warn of imminent terrorist attacks? Wasnt that the big gotcha moment of the 9-11 hearings? The memo that the Bush administration ignored. Instead of passing the buck, lets own up to what was done during the Bush admin as it relates to torture.

[trebby2]

Yea, that was a hot one. The Republicans would never investigate a Democratic president, would they? I guess impeaching a president over a blow job is upholding the rule of law, but prosecuting an administration over countless violations of laws against torture and murder - that's political persecution. It never ceases to amaze me what liars and hypocrites they are.

[grumpherys]

here, here!

[Darko888]

What an idiot.

[HugeJohn51]

what the fuck? the Clinton Administration? is he saying that the special prosecutor that investigated Clinton for years for anything at all he could find, wasn't enough? Daily show had it right saying that Washington is now Bizzarro Washington.

[hoot101]

haha karl rove said this two day ago then some other repub ass said it now him gay talking point! try again

[3star2nr]

Good point I guess we've always been a banana republic since the nuremberg trials

And we Prosecute those THAT BREAK THE LAW not those we disagree with.